THE first museum in the UK to be dedicated to Sikh history has opened in Derby.

Hundreds of people gathered yesterday for the official opening of the National Sikh Heritage Centre and Holocaust Museum in Pear Tree.

The £25,000-plus project is the first in the world to showcase Sikh history from the perspective of British Sikhs.

It also looks at the Sikh holocaust, in which more than a million people lost their lives because of their faith.

The idea for a national museum came from the Sikh Community Youth Service in the 1980s.

It considered venues from all over the country but chose a former factory in Derby, owned by the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara temple, because of the enthusiasm which had been shown by the city's Sikh community.

Gurmel Singh, one of the volunteers who helped to set up the museum, said he expected people from all over the world to visit the centre.

He said: "The people in Derby expressed such an appetite for this centre. All the funds have been donated by the community and they have put in a lot of time and effort to make it happen.

"We want Sikh young people to get a sense of their connection with Britain as Sikhs and the British have been interacting since the 1700s.

"I think this will become a major tourist destination for people all over the world."

The museum, which is opposite the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara temple, off Prince's Street, features a collection of cannons, hand-held weapons and coins from the Sikh empire in 18th-century India and also memorabilia from the time of the British Raj.

There are soon to be interactive displays and a full educational section with a specialist library of more than 300 books.

There is also a collection of material addressing the history of Sikh persecution.

During the 18th century, Sikhs were outlawed by the Indian government and endured barbaric persecution for about 50 years.

In the wake of Indira Gandhi's assassination in India by two of her Sikh guards in 1984, thousands of Sikhs were slaughtered.

Mr Singh said: "The world is quite rightly aware of the Jewish holocaust but also the Sikhs have had an experience and it's almost an untold story."

The opening was attended by the Mayor of Derby, Councillor Barbara Jackson, and the MP for Derby South, Margaret Beckett.

Mrs Beckett, who released 300 balloons at the event and was wearing Sikh dress, said: "I think this is a tremendous thing that we now have in Derby. It's very important for the young people of the Sikh community to know about their origins and for others to learn about it.

"There's a tremendous tradition of working together between the Sikh community and the British people."

Comments

Great work on creating a Sikh museum. Its not the best location in the world but it is an inner part of Derby which has its own unique and beautiful history. This was all paid by the local sikh community
Just as a side note you would be interested to note that Church of England churches are all funded by tax payers money. Yet 10% of the GDP of the UK is generated by 2% of the South Asian population which includes Indians and Pakistanis. So point being that if tax payers money was used to build a sikh museum even that would be fine.

As I actually went to the opening yesterday, silence is my reply to cynical comments made by a person who voices an opinion without actually visiting the place; therefore an opinion based on prejudiced assumptions. As a visitor there I can confirm that the opening of the museum was an enlightening event, especially as the holocaust of the Sikhs, a peaceful people that believe in equality amongst all peoples regardless of gender, race or creed, is hardly ever mentioned. Many Sikhs did fight in 2 World Wars, in which India was not directly involved. We owe our thanks to every single soldier, including Sikhs, that fought for the freedom we enjoy today in Britain and Europe. I will definitely visit the museum again, as it was not only interesting to learn about a different culture, but a different culture that now intertwines ours with the British Sikhs.

my point about tax payers money is not with whom it is spent on but what it is spent on.
how ever it dose look like the money was raised within the community and is not tax money. we are all heading for a resection so we need to save money. and how long will this place last, will it pay for its own up keep or will the Sikh's start to look to the council for funding! you did it off your own backs. and well done for that but keep it that way.

The location for it is rather remote (an industrial unit) , however kudos to the Sikh community of Derby for creating this particular exhibition.
Kevin, assuming for a minute that the building was part funded by the tax payer; so what? Sikhs pay taxes too. Sikhs are British too. If the council can provide funds to support something a particular section of the community may use (such as the playhouse for example), then why not a museum?

i hate it when people put a dampner on something that is clearly positive i think its important that everyone should be interested in all aspects of history and i will certainly be visiting the centre at some point i think its great and people should embrace the sikh community and all they have to offer its awful when a small minority have to make a fool of themselves im english myself and its a thing i will most look forward too

I managed to go to the launch yesterday and I recommend it to all. Its all in English and it was very informative and professional and some of the artefacts like the 1 shot gun/axe and big cannon were a pleasure to see.